Mercy Street
by Florida Mayers
Summary: Our story begins with Izumi Chinoike, a young Academy student. Her background, her development as a kunoichi, the friends she makes along the way — they'll all be explored. So, without further delay, the story of Izumi Chinoiki.
1. Chapter 1

_Dreaming of mercy street,_

 _Where you're inside out,_

 _Dreaming of mercy,_

 _In your daddy's arms,_

 _Dreaming of mercy street_

-Mercy Street; **by Opus Orange and Emy Reynolds**

* * *

Izumi felt a sigh leave her lips. She was currently in her bedroom, sitting by her window with her knees drawn to her chest, her arms wrapped around her legs. She was looking out her window, watching the citizens of Konoha go about their daily lives. She was fascinated by them, intrigued by what they were doing. Izumi always seemed to have a fascination about how people lived their lives. Everyone had their own routines, their own way of going about things. It was peculiar, in her eyes, how different everyone was. Looking away for a moment, the young girl rested her chin on her legs, her eyes looking at the wall in front of her. Her mind was beginning to wander, going to all these different places faster than she could keep up with. Izumi would remember the training she had with her mother and how quickly it would go sour. She'd remember visiting her father at his apartment, and how often she enjoyed how easy he was to be around.

Her mind would go back and forth between the brutalities her mother put her through, and the silent calm her father seemed to radiate. But since Izumi's mother was determined to keep all of the twelve-year-old's time at _her_ place, the young girl found herself seeing her father less and less. It also didn't help that her father was a shinobi, a successful one at that. He built quite the reputation for himself, one that Izumi both admired and feared. While she knew she had no real reason to fear her father, part of her _was_ a bit uneasy when it came to him. He'd killed people, countless people, before. Not only that, but the number of times he almost lost his life was astounding. Izumi couldn't believe it. His reputation, the knowledge that he'd actually _killed_ , the thought that he _could_ die at any given moment — those were some of the reasons why she was scared and uneasy.

 _He's doing what's necessary for the village,_ Izumi thought. _Anyone in their right mind knows that._

Letting out a soft groan, the young girl quickly sat up, groaning at the sudden movements. She'd been training with her mother since early morning, and the evidence was beginning to show. Bumps and bruises, cuts and scrapes — they littered Izumi's body. Her wrists especially bore the worst when it came to cuts. Blood was essential when it came to training, and sometimes it was important to improvise. But then again, sometimes physical fights weren't necessary.

Stretching, Izumi hoped she could focus herself on other things. She didn't think it was really necessary to keep her focus on the training her mother had in place for her. But at the same time, Izumi saw importance in reflecting everything she'd experienced. So her mother's harsh physical training was one very important piece to reflect on. Each training session was different, and Izumi tried to go over each fighting technique she practiced for the day. And then there was the not-so-physical training — it was more _mental_ training than anything else. She had to keep her mind sharp, her senses had to be at their best, as well. If they weren't, then things would go to shit _fast_. And if things went to shit, then. . .

"Izumi!"

The sharp exclamation from her mother caused the twelve-year-old to jump where she stood. Her heart pounded against her ribs, her breathing becoming quick and shallow. That was the kind of power Izumi's mother had on her. Even when she wasn't training, the young girl had to be on edge around the very woman who was raising her.

"What?" Izumi called. She took a deep breath and let it out, hoping to calm herself down. She had to keep herself composed.

"Your father's here. Do you have all your things ready?"

A feeling of relief washed over the young girl. She'd forgotten her father was coming by. Izumi would be spending the next week and a half with him, which meant there'd be a bit of a break from the extensive routine her mother built up.

"Yeah, I'll be down in a minute," Izumi called.

Oh God, she felt so much better now.

 **-0-0-0-0-**

It took about five minutes before Izumi made it to where her parents were. The silence that emanated from the front of the house was almost deafening. It made the young girl's stomach twist anxiously.* Izumi's parents had been pretty young when they had her, deciding to never legally marry due to differences in views. It wasn't until a year after Izumi was born that her parents went through a bitter separation. They never truly recovered from it. They attempted to make things as civil as possible in order to co-parent their child, but the bitterness and iciness still remained, even after eleven years.

Once Izumi made it to the front of the house, she could see her parents standing as far away from each other as physically possible. The two were standing as stiff as a board, avoiding all eye contact and refusing to properly acknowledge each other. Maybe their relationship — or lack thereof — could be seen as a lot of things; childish seemed to come to mind a lot, but they tried their best for Izumi.

"Hey, Papa." The deafening silence was overwhelming Izumi, filling with her with an almost suffocating sensation of anxiety. "Sorry it took so long. I had to make sure I didn't forget anything."

When her father looked at her, a flash of emotion swept across his face. Or, at least his _eye_. Izumi's father had a habit of covering up, so seeing facial expressions was nearly impossible to make out. Only people who really paid attention to his features could see what as being shown.

"I see you've been busy," he stated, his tone calm and relaxed. His gaze quickly flickered over to Izumi's mother before going back to his daughter.

"Uh, yeah," Izumi stuttered. "Busy morning."

"You two should probably head out." Izumi's mother, Chihiro, crossed her arms over her chest, turning her head away from her ex and daughter. "I've got a lot of errands I need to finish. Plus I need to clean the house."

"Of course." Izumi's father, Kakashi, didn't bother looking at Chihiro before motioning for his daughter to come with him.

"I'll be back before you know it, Ma." The twelve year old threw a small smile her mother's way. The corners of Chihiro's lips twitched, as if she wanted to smile, but she refused. That was a common thing in the Chinoike household, or at least with Chihiro, where there seemed to be a lack of emotion. Izumi tried her best to be as expressive as possible, but she always seemed to have trouble connecting with her mother. There seemed to be some kind of barrier between them.

As Izumi and Kakashi walked out the front door, the cool air hitting the two of them, a tension seemed to have released from the young girl's shoulders. Once the front door closed behind father and daughter, with Kakashi gently placing a hand between Izumi's shoulder blades, that's when conversations started.

"Did she have you training again?" Kakashi asked.

"Yeah." Izumi frowned a bit, her eyes cast downward. "She really went out this time."

As the two walked, unhurried, there seemed to be a heaviness that fell on them. The day was still young, but Izumi was waiting for it to be over.

Kakashi let out a heavy sigh at that. While he had no problem with Izumi getting extra training in, he feared just how far Chihiro was willing to go just to make their daughter stronger.

"You don't have to get upset," Izumi stated. "I'm getting stronger. Maybe I'll be as good as you were when I graduate."

"You don't need to compare yourself to me." There was a firmness in Kakashi's voice, one that came out only once in a blue moon. He hated when his daughter tried to compare herself to him, he didn't want that for her. He wanted Izumi to be her own person, to grow and develop at her _own_ rate. She didn't need to pressure herself with any of the things he did as a child. "I can see you becoming a strong kunoichi," Kakashi went on, "without you making the same mistakes I did."

Letting out a soft hum, Izumi took her father's words into consideration. He had a way of being hard on himself sometimes. His past was complicated and full of pain. Izumi knew that, he made it clear to her when she was old enough to understand. But in Izumi's eyes, she couldn't help but think differently. She admired her father and all that he did. He fought in the Third Shinobi War, and after he lost comrade after comrade, he did his best to persevere. That's what Izumi found so admirable. He got through it. He didn't let all the negativity in his life get to him.

"Did you want to go eat once you're settled?" Kakashi asked, changing the subject. "I know you must be hungry."

"Sure." Izumi smiled up at her father. "Is Ichiraku's okay?"

With a smile of his own, Kakashi gave a single nod. "That's fine with me."

* * *

 **(A/N):**

 **Sorry for the wait on this chapter. Also, sorry for the bad summary. I tried to think of something that may come off as interesting, but it came out really bad. So yeah. My sincerest apologies. Other than that, let me know what you guys think. Constructive criticism is a must, my friends.**

 **Do I own anything in the _Naruto_ universe? No. No I do not. All I own are my OCs, my subplots, and the laptop I'm typing on. If you've got ideas for OCs or subplots, be sure to PM me or leave a review. I'll add them in as soon as possible.**

 **Also, I wrote a character description of Izumi in the "bio" section. I'll be adding more of my OCs in as the story progresses, so keep that in mind. I'll also be putting out descriptions in the "bio" for my other stories, too. But anyway, if you're curious on what Izumi looks like, or you're curious about anything else regarding her, I put out some basic info.**

 **Be sure to leave a random fact in the reviews, my friends. It can be on anything you'd like.**

 **I'll see you around.**

 **Florida Mayers**


	2. Chapter 2

_Happiness hit her like a train on a track,_

 _Coming towards her, stuck still no turning back,_

 _She hid around corners and she hid under beds,_

 _She killed it with kisses and from it she fled,_

 _With every bubble she sank with a drink,_

 _And washed it away down the kitchen sink_

-Dog Days Are Over; **by Florence + the Machine**

* * *

The walk to Kakashi's apartment was filled with small conversation, with the occasional question and statement being thrown about by both father and daughter. It felt like a lifetime, in their eyes, since they actually got to spend time together. Chihiro was quite adamant that the twelve-year-old spend as much time in _her_ home than in Kakashi's apartment. And it's not that his home was any way unfit for Izumi, it's because the mother just didn't want to spend too much time away from her only daughter. The way Izumi saw it, Chihiro used her as a way to get back at Kakashi for the way things ended. The less time the young girl spent with her father, the less likely she'd be in wanting to _ever_ be with him. Which, in fact, was a load of crap. Izumi loved the time she'd get to spend with her father. He wasn't as harsh as Chihiro could be at times. Sure, he could be a bit apathetic and blunt, but as a shinobi, especially one who's lost so much, he had every reason to be.

"Do you need me to patch you up?" Kakashi asked. The two had finally reached his apartment, with him looking for his key in his pocket. His gaze went down to Izumi for a moment, taking in her appearance. Needless to say, he was both worried and displeased with how his daughter looked. Chihiro had been exceptionally brutal, from what Kakashi could tell. The cuts looked deeper; the bruises were forming faster than they normally should. Not only that, but Izumi looked very uncomfortable, as if she was trying to hold back from giving any indication she was in any pain.

"I'll be fine," Izumi stated. "I should be fine by the time I go back to Ma's."

"I was thinking," Kakashi sighed, unlocking his apartment door, "maybe it would be better if you lived with me."

A wave of confusion washed over Izumi. "You want me to live with you?" she asked.

"Yeah. I'd feel better if you were with me."

When the door opened, Izumi slowly went inside. Her brows furrowed as she considered her father's words. While she did enjoy staying with him, she never thought he'd want her to live with him. Izumi always assumed he was more comfortable with her being with Chihiro, considering the missions he'd be on.

"What about when you go on missions?" Izumi asked. "Where would I go then?"

"I can have a word with Iruka in terms of living arrangements."

It was that simple statement that had the young girl's heart stop in her chest. If she _did_ decide to live with her father, and Chihiro willingly allowed her daughter to do so, the very _thought_ of bunking with Iruka while Kakashi was on missions made Izumi wish the Earth would swallow her whole. Sure, Iruka was a good instructor, he was also a fair and compassionate person at times, but would he even _want_ to take care of not only someone else's child, but also a _student_ , while the parent is away? Everyone in the village knew who Izumi's parents were. She was the daughter of the infamous Copycat Ninja Kakashi and the Blood Tyrant Chihiro. As surprising as it may seem, Izumi's mother did have some training as a shinobi; she was never officially one, but she did have the necessary skills to _be_ one.

Swallowing thickly, Izumi looked up at her father. He had closed his apartment door and locked it. His back was to her as he took off his flak jacket and gloves.

"Do you think Ma will let me go that easily?" Izumi stuttered. "She's. . . _possessive_ to say the least."

"I understand." Removing his forehead protector, Kakashi placed that, along with his jacket and gloves on the sofa in his living room. He then took off his shoes and placed them by the front door. "But she has to understand that you're not some object she can let her aggression out on."

"She doesn't let her aggression out on me. We're training."

Kakashi looked over at his daughter, his eye narrowing slightly. Removing his mask, allowing it to pool around his neck, he took note to how Izumi's expression changed. She could see the dissatisfied, almost frustrated, look on his face.

"Look, I'd like to live with you," Izumi stammered, "but Ma would never let that happen. She'd do everything in her power to take me back."

"You don't need to worry about your mother," Kakashi stated. "I'll take care of it. I only want what's best for you."

Shifting anxiously where she stood, the young girl tried to think of _some_ thing that could go against her father's plans. In a lot of ways, Izumi was right about her mother. Chihiro wasn't one to go down without a fight; _especially_ if it involved her child. Izumi was her only child, not to mention a descendant of the Chinoike clan. Chihiro wasn't going to willingly hand her daughter over, not with how things were going between mother and child.

"Is there something else going on?" Kakashi asked. When Izumi didn't answer, he crossed his arms over his chest and took a step forward. "Is there something going on?"

Izumi swallowed thickly and nodded. Her heart was pounding in her chest. Her stomach twisted and her skin felt hot. If she told him, would he be upset?

"What's happening?" he asked.

Looking down for a moment, Izumi tried to think over her words. She knew that what she was about to admit could change her father's views either on her or on Chihiro entirely. And the _last_ thing Izumi wanted was more tension between her parents.

"Izumi."

Snapping out of her thoughts, the twelve-year-old looked back up at her father before letting out a shaky breath. "I awakened my Ketsuryūgan," Izumi murmured. "It happened recently. That's why Ma's been so hard on training. She wants me to master it as quickly as possible."

The Ketsuryūgan, the dōjutsu of the Chinoike clan. Kakashi's heard of it. While his knowledge on the subject is rather limited, he knows that the eyes of those who have it can not only cast powerful genjutsu, but control blood. And that's about as far as Kakashi's knowledge on the subject goes. He tried learning more about it once he found out about it — _especially_ after finding out it was a kekkei genkai commonly found in the Chinoike bloodline. Kakashi wanted to understand it, should his child develop it later in life. But there seemed to be little to no documents of it in Konoha. So that meant Chihiro was his only source, and after the split. . .

"Why didn't you tell me this earlier?" Kakashi stated. He kept his tone calm, trying to avoid any kind of trouble.

"I didn't want to bother you," Izumi murmured. "You've got so much going on already, I didn't want to cause any additional stress."

Kneeling in front of her, Kakashi gently brushed some of her hair out of her face, tucking it behind her ears. She looked almost _ashamed_ and that hurt him the most.

"I will _always_ have time for you," he said firmly. "Okay? I'll _always_ have time for you and I'll _always_ put you first."

Quickly nodding, Izumi tried for a smile.

"How about we go out to eat?" Kakashi suggested. When Izumi's face lit up, he smiled. "Go put your belongings in your room. I'll see you in a couple minutes."

 **-0-0-0-0-**

While Izumi placed her belongings in her room, she couldn't help but let her mind wander. She'd think about the Ketsuryūgan, how unique it was to the Chinoike clan. Then she'd think about everything her father told her, about wanting her to leave Chihiro to live with him. Was that really smart? Chihiro was not only strong, but very capable. She'd _definitely_ put up a fight if Kakashi tried taking Izumi from him.

 _I can understand her desire for me to stay,_ the twelve-year-old thought, _since my Ketsuryūgan awakened, but shouldn't I have the right to visit my father?_

Taking out a couple folded shirts, Izumi frowned a little. She should have a right to visit her father when she wanted to. It shouldn't be a battle for something like that to happen. But with Chihiro, it always had to be. She was possessive, always wanting to know where her daughter was at all times if it didn't involve being at the Academy. It was overwhelming, to put it lightly.

So. . .maybe living with Kakashi wasn't such a bad idea. Yeah, there'd be some disadvantages when it came to certain kekkei genkai — since Izumi's father possessed the Sharingan, a _completely_ different dōjutsu from hers. But that didn't bother her. Not in the slightest. The twelve-year-old would learn to adapt. She'd have to.

* * *

 **(A/N):**

 **Sorry for the wait on this chapter! Hopefully it came out somewhat decent for you guys. If it didn't, if there are things you think could use some improvement, be sure to let me know. So yeah, please do that. I'd like to know how I can make my writing better for you guys.**

 **Do I own anything in the _Naruto_ universe? No. No I don't. All I own are my OCs, my subplots, and the headphones I use to listen to music. If you've got ideas for OCs or subplots, be sure to PM me or leave a review. I'll add them in as soon as possible.**

 **Be sure to leave any random facts if you've got any. It could be on something old or on something new; it's up to you guys.**

 **I'll see you guys later.**

 **Florida Mayers**


	3. Chapter 3

_My black eye casts no shadow,_

 _Your red eye sees nothing,_

 _Your slap don't stick,_

 _Your kick don't hit,_

 _So we remain the same_

-Kiss With a Fist; **by Florence + the Machine**

* * *

 **(A/N):**

 **I'm so sorry for the wait on this chapter. I got distracted and lost track of time. I promise to get a new chapter up when I get the chance. You guys can still leave constructive criticism if you want. If you have any questions, too, be sure to leave any if you'd like.**

 **Do I own anything in this fandom? No. No I don't. All I own are my OCs, my subplots, and exhaustion from work. If you've got ideas for future OCs or subplots, be sure to leave a PM or review and I'll add them in as soon as possible.**

 **Again, I'll get a new chapter up when I get the chance. Hopefully you guys can wait until I get myself together first.**

 **Thank you guys immensely.**

 **Florida Mayers**


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